


Portugal

by hypnoshatesme



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Holiday Shenanigans, M/M, literally just a collection of fluffy scenes of the two on holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24090340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypnoshatesme/pseuds/hypnoshatesme
Summary: Michael and Gerry decide to take a break and enjoy some weeks of Portuguese sun and food.
Relationships: Gerard Keay/Michael Shelley
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47





	Portugal

**Author's Note:**

> My new coping mechanism really is "Take whatever is upsetting you and turn it into something nice for gerrymichael"  
> Well, realised I probably won't be able to visit home again recently, which made me sad, so I sent them there on holidays.

**Porto**

Michael flinched as he watched yet another person jump from the bridge. He had barely managed to stifle a yelp when he had seen the first person jump when they arrived at the riverside. It didn’t get any easier, no matter if he knew they were fine and climbing out of the river moments later just to go again. 

So Michael looked away instead, focussing on Gerry, who was sitting across from him and was enjoying the skewered Portuguese marmalade and cheese. He had somehow managed to already get a tan and it stood out against the light blue flower-patterned shirt. He looked content, sitting in the half-shade, hair pulled into a low ponytail. Michael smiled.

“Enjoying the view?”, Gerry teased after a while passed with Michael just staring at him dreamily. He wasn’t even blinking.

He did blink, then, cheeks turning slightly red, “Uh...yes.”, his smile was bashful, “You...it’s nice to see you in colour? With your tan. It...looks good."

Gerry grinned, taking another sip from his glass, “Don’t get used to it. I’ll be back to black as soon as the sun stops trying to cook me.”

Michael chuckled, tucking a curl behind his ear, “I’m sure that’ll still look striking.”

“You’ve got a bit of a tan yourself, by now.”, Gerry decided to point out, nodding towards the arm laying on the table where Michael was playing with the toothpicks left from their food.

Michael followed his gaze. He shrugged, “Barely noticeable, really.”

“Mhm, maybe, but the freckles are. And I love them.”, Gerry ran his finger over the freckles on Michael’s arm, now much more noticeable than they were only a week or so before.

Michael watched his finger, blushing lightly at the words, “I mean...those are always there, it’s not really-”

Gerry sighed, “Hush. Accept the compliment and eat.”, he held out the last little skewer to Michael’s lips.

He hesistated a moment, but ate it. Gerry grinned, satisfied, and Michael smiled back at him. The freckles in his face were also more visible by now. It looked wonderful and Gerry smiled.

*

**Aveiro**

Gerry wasn’t really listening to the guide, eyes lazily taking in the little stands along the riverside, letting the strange voices wash over him. They had wandered the market earlier, spontaneously deciding on joining a boat tour through the city after lunch. The gentle movement of the boat was making Gerry sleepy and he sighed.

“We should check out the salt museum later.”, Michael whispered, leaning in a little so Gerry could hear him.

Gerry took a moment to find his way back from his reverie. He looked at Michael, sitting next to him in the boat, wearing a too bright turquoise shirt he had bought the day before, eyes alight and excited as he continued to listen to the guide. His nose was going slightly red despite of the straw head giving some shade to his face. He looked lovely.

“We should.", Gerry said, looking at the salt mounds the guide was pointing out, "Are you feeling warm or are you starting to get a sunburn?”, he asked, gently touching the tip of Michael's nose with his fingers.

“Both. I was thinking that I should have brought sunscreen…", he chuckled, "Our boatmates were smarter than us.", he added as the family sitting across from them was passing a bottle of sunscreen between them.

Gerry watched them. They were pale, all four of them, but speaking Portuguese with each other. Gerry spaces out a little, only noticing when the girl shyly held out the sunscreen towards him. It took him a moment to understand. 

"Oh, uh, thanks.", he mumbled, taking the bottle from her, "Ah...obrigado."

She smiled at him, before going back to talking to what looked like her mother next to her. 

"Was that correct?", Gerry mumbled, giving Michael the bottle.

Michael nodded, taking the bottle and squirting some cream into his hands before spreading it on his face, "Yes, and you should take some yourself, your shoulders are a little red." 

Gerry smiled, taking some sunscreen himself before giving the bottle back to the girl with another thank you.

“Did I spread it all?”, Michael asked, looking at him.

Gerry grinned as he saw the bit of cream on his cheek, “Close.”, he carefully brought his hand to Michael’s face, spreading the rest, too.

“Thank you!”, Michael smiled, before looking back at the guide, lacing his fingers through Gerry’s. Gerry leaned back again, watching the sunlight play on the water, squeezing Michael’s hand softly.

*

**Serra da Estrela**

“Gerry, let’s keep one.”, Michael giggled as another fluffy puppy joined the pile he was sitting in and licked his face.

“I think they get a bit big for the London apartment, don’t you think?”, Gerry chuckled, amused, scratching one of the dogs behind its ear, trying very hard to to keep the tongue from reaching his face.

Michael sighed, hugging the one still licking his face close and burying his face in its fur, “But they’re cute, Gerry. Maybe we should move.”

Gerry laughed, and the puppy took the opportunity to lick his jaw, “Do you want to start anew as a sheep herder?”

“Why not?”

“Quite a lot of change just to keep a dog.”, Gerry grinned and ran his fingers through the soft, black fur of the puppy licking his neck.

Michael looked up from his furry pillow, petting a different puppy that was nosing his side curiously, “You like sheep.”

Gerry laughed, “Well, I can’t debate that. I do like sheep. Guess it’s decided then.”, the puppy licked his hand, “I want a black one, though.”

Now Michael laughed, clear as bells, “Of course.”

Gerry might seriously consider it if it would mean hearing that laughter more often. He smiled, getting up from his crouching position and dusting himself off.

“Getting some water from inside, I assume you’d rather stay where you are?”, he asked, looking at Michael still trying to please every fluffball eagerly trying to play with him, to get his attention. 

He was dusty and full of dog hair and saliva, the wind making his hair stick to it. It was really quite disgusting, yet Gerry felt very warm at the sight. He had to remember not to kiss Michael before he had washed his face, though. Michael nodded, giving him a bright smile, a strand of hair sticking to the corner of his mouth. Gerry sighed and shook his head, smiling. He headed inside the café to wash his hands and buy some water.

*

**Penacova**

The rain had stopped, gone as quickly as it had started, and they finally left the café they had ducked into when it had started.

“Do you smell that?”, Michael mumbled when they stepped outside. 

Gerry took in a deep breath, “I do. What is it? It’s...fresh.”

Michael looked around, “Probably the trees? The rain it just made it more intense...pine and eucalyptus, I think.”

“It’s amazing. People should get unto this and make scented candles.”, Gerry mumbled with another deep breath.

Michael smiled, “Oh, I’d love that…”

They walked over to the windmills they had come to check out, many old and in ruins, but quite a few were still whole. They took some pictures of them as they walked around, occasionally stopping to enjoy the view over the valley, mostly trees with the occasional cluster of houses. Peaceful. Gerry sat down on the rocky ground and closed his eyes, sighing. The temperature was perfect after the rain, and the air smelled amazing, and he might just stay here. 

Michael took a picture of him, trying to capture his serene expression without disturbing him. Gerry noticed, though, and opened his eyes again, “Well, at least come here and take a picture of us both, Michael.”

“You know I don’t look good in pictures.”, Michael mumbled.

“No, that’s what _you_ say, I never agreed with that. Move your ass here, it’s the best view.”

Michael sighed, walking towards were Gerry was sitting, “Is that why you had your eyes closed?”, he mumbled, taking in the view that was, indeed, impressive. Everything looked so vivid after the rain, the trees a brilliant green. 

Gerry got up, “So, do you want windmills or that in the background?”

“Both?”, Michael smiled.

Gerry chuckled, “So much for no pictures.”

They took a couple pictures facing both ways. As they were facing the windmills Michael saw something white move in the corner of his eye. He looked towards it and one of the windmills had started to move, the only one that had canvas on the blades. Michael had wondered about that earlier, assuming it served to show how they used to look like when still in use. He didn't think it would actually still be able to move.

“Gerry, that one is actually working!”, he pointed at it, barely able to contain his excitement. He looked at Gerry in awe, “Do you think we can go inside?”

Gerry grinned and took Michael’s hand, “Only one way to find out…”, pulling him towards the turning windmill, 

*

**Coimbra**

“Oh wow, that one looks like a tiny piece of art.”, Michael said when Gerry set down the plates, “What’s this one?”, he added, pointing at the pastry in front of himself.

Gerry sat down himself, starting to add the sugar to his coffee, “It does. And I’m not going to even try pronouncing that, I kept the bill to show you.”, he put the small piece of paper on the table and slid it towards Michael, “That one’s mine, so yours is this.”, he pointed to the text on the paper.

Michael knit his brows, “Feijão? Didn’t we have that word a couple days ago at lunch? Wasn’t it...beans?”

Gerry shrugged, “Maybe? Look it up.”

Michael did just that, phone already in his hand before Gerry had finished speaking. 

“It is beans!”, he smiled, clearly proud he had managed to remember the word. Then he looked at the pastry again, “But it’s sweet?”

Gerry sipped his espresso, “They don’t have much non-sweet pastries here, do they?”

Michael looked at him, “That’s a lie, you’ve eaten like two kilogrammes of rissois since we arrived.”

Gerry raised an eyebrow, “Okay, first of all, that’s an exaggeration. Also, it’s not true, I’ve eaten those other ones. With fish and those green spots?"

Michael drew his eyebrows together, thinking, "The codfish ones. Hum…bolinhos de bacalhau, if I remember correctly."

"Those.", Gerry nodded, "You on the other hand have had rissois literally everywhere we went.”, he added with a grin.

Michael blushed a little, but his mouth pulled into a smile, “I have to see where they’re the best in case we ever come back.”

And Gerry was surprised at how casually Michael said 'we', how nonchalantly he spoke about possibly coming back in the future. Michael was usually so careful to not allow himself to say something like that, to give himself hope, only for it to possibly be crushed. But his smile was easy as he put half of the sugar packet into his espresso before giving the rest to Gerry. Gerry took it, still a little surprised, and added it to his coffee.

Michael eyed the pastry a little suspiciously while stirring his coffee for a moment. It looked normal enough. He wasn't too sure about sweet beans, though. He wasn't even a big fan of non-sweet ones, despite having quite liked the ones served for lunch a couple days earlier. He was biting his lip , nervously. Michael wasn't too good with new foods, but he had been determined to get better at it. And he had. But they still made him anxious.

"Should I try it first?", Gerry asked, biting into his own pastry.

Michael watched him as his lips pulled into an approving smile before biting into the pastry again. There had yet to be a pastry Gerry didn't approve of, but Michael liked trying to rank the smiles, trying to guess whether Gerry liked this one more than the one before, if his eyes lit up just as much or if it was more of a satisfied 'good, but not as good'. Michael loved seeing the childlike joy on his face as he ate himself through Portuguese sweets. He'd never tire of seeing that.

Michael shook his head, though, bringing his own pastry to his lips and biting down, still a little reluctantly. Gerry finished his coffee and his own pastry, trying not to add to Michael's anxiety by watching for his reaction.

"Oh! It's good!", he said eventually, smiling. "Very sweet though. Help me with the rest?", he chuckled, holding the rest out to Gerry across the table.

Gerry grinned, taking a big bite out of it. It was good. Definitely on the too sweet side for Michael.

He licked his lips, grinning, "What would you do without me?"

Michael chuckled, "Apparently, I'd have a lot of half-eaten pastries.", he popped the last bit of the pastry into his mouth. He smiled, taking in the old buildings and cobblestone street. A group of students in uniform were setting up at the corner across the café they were sitting at.

"Ah, they look like they'll start playing over there…", he mumbled, nodding towards the group and finishing his coffee.

Gerry followed his gaze, "Want to go listen?"

"I know you don't like it much."

"But you do. And really, I only dislike the actual singing. The guitars sound nice.", he got up from his seat, "Come, we'd be heading that way anyways."

Michael got up, too, taking Gerry's outstretched hand and walking with him as the first gentle chords were plucked on the guitar across the street.

*

**Figueira da Foz**

Micha shivered as a gentle wave reached his feet. Gerry grinned, but he, too, felt the gooseflesh spread from where the water reached his ankles. It was a hot day and they had both decided they needed to cool down after laying in the sun for so long, but the water was a little cooler than anticipated.

"Frigid.", Michael hissed as a second wave reached them and he took half a step back.

Gerry looked at him. Michael was hugging himself, face obscured by curls that had escaped his ponytail during his nap earlier. There was still sand stuck on his face where he had somehow managed to shuffle off the towel in his sleep, despite Gerry doing his best to stop him without waking him.

"I think a lot is just you being, quite literally, very hot.", Gerry winked at him and gently splashed a bit of water at Michael's legs with his foot.

Michael squeaked, jumping back which only upset the water further, splashing more of it up his legs, "Gerry!"

Gerry laughed, "What was that noise?"

"Oh, shut up!", Michael mumbled, face red - probably not just from the heat - and splashed some water back at Gerry, making him hiss.

Gerry grinned at him, mischievous glint in his eyes, before splashing more water back at Michael. Michael looked at Gerry with something akin to a pout at that, eyebrows knitted, before his face slowly morphed into a grin himself, tentative but playful, before he splashed back. Gerry huffed a laugh before running further into the ocean, splashing more water from there. Michael laughed, a little high pitched, trying to splash Gerry without getting too much further into the cold water himself.

It was a back and forth, hisses turning into laughter as both of them got used to the temperature somewhat. Gerry tried to get closer when he was basically drenched himself, tried to pull Michael into a hug, but Michael slipped away and ran. Gerry chased him, slowed by the slightly deeper water but he didn't really care, laughing as Michael nearly stumbled into the water himself. Gerry took the opportunity of Michael steadying himself to finally close in, wrapping his cooled arms around Michael's mostly dry and warm neck, grinning widely. 

Michael bit his lip hard, stifling a yelp and recoiled, pushing Gerry away, making him lose balance. Gerry tried to let go of Michael, but didn't quite manage, pulling him along as he fell. Michael couldn't quite stop the surprised squeak escaping him as they hit the ground.

Gerry’s back hit the sand in the shallow water, and Michael gave his best to not land on top of him with his full weight, landing half in the sand instead with a wet thud. He propped himself up, looking at Gerry with a worried expression, “Are you okay?”

Gerry looked up at him and giggled, and Michael's eyes widened in surprised because that was a noise he never heard before. Gerry was squinting a little, the sun hitting his eyes, turning them to dark honey, and he looked happy and relaxed, beautiful, and Michael bent down to kiss him. He felt Gerry smile against his lips, and his heart fluttered.

  
  
  


*

**Óbidos e proximidades**

“That liquor was amazing, wasn’t it?”

Gerry grinned, watching the trees go by as they drove on, “I didn’t think you’d be much of a liquor person, Michael.”

“Well, I’ve never had it served to me in tiny chocolate cups!”

“So, that’s what it takes, huh?”, Gerry looked at him in the driver’s seat. 

He had gotten used to driving on the wrong side - well, the _right_ side - and while his face was still the definition of focus as he looked at the street in front of him, he at least didn’t look horribly tense anymore, eyes no longer permanently wide behind his sunglasses, fingers no longer clutching the wheel, but laying there elegantly, comfortably. Michael shrugged - holding a conversation had been quite impossible in the beginning, too, though Gerry didn’t mind silent car rides - and smiled, and Gerry hummed appreciatively, before turning to look out of the window again.

The trees became smaller, and endless, “Where are we even? Are those peaches?”

Michael mumbled, “I’m afraid I probably took a wrong turn or something…”, he glanced at the trees, “Do you want to look at the trees?”

Gerry nodded, “They look tasty, stop the car.”

“Gerry! You can’t just steal peaches.”, and the usual edge of nervousness was back in his voice.

Gerry grinned, “There’s nothing and nobody around, I’m sure they won’t be missed.”

Michael gave him a nervous glance, but did pull over.

“You can stay in the car, if you want?”, Gerry said as he got out himself.

Michael looked at him, panicked, “What? No! Somebody could come and-”

“Okay, okay, get out, then.”, Gerry chuckled, closing the door and stretching as he waited for Michael to walk around to meet him.

They walked for a bit, just because Gerry knew Michael would be more at ease when they were out of sight of the street, and also because it was nice. The air was sweet, it was warm but not too hot, and the trees were pretty. Michael’s nervousness was replaced by awe as he looked around, took in the vivid colours of the leaves and fruits.

Gerry finally caved in and plucked a peach, biting into it before Michael had the time to do anything besides looking at him in shock. 

It was sweet and juicy and Gerry wasn’t even bothered by the fact that it was a little warm from the sun. They had already established that fruit was just better here, but this somehow even managed to outdo what they’d gotten at the markets around the country.

He licked his lips, looking at the peach in his hand in amazement, “Oh wow, I think...I think I’ll just be sad next time I eat a peach at home.”

“Didn’t you say that about the pear you ate this morning?”, Michael asked, unable to really keep the amusement out of his eyes as he was still trying to give Gerry a disapproving look for stealing fruit.

Gerry grinned up at him, handing him the peach, “Try.”

Michael stared at it for a moment, conflicted, but ended up taking it with a sigh, biting into it. His eyes widened, “Oh, okay...yes. Wow. I don’t even like peaches that much, but this is good...”, he took another bite.

Gerry laughed, “Well, if you’re going to finish it, at least get me another one.”

“Get one on your own, the trees are small enough.”, Michael grinned, licking the juice of his lips.

“Oh, now you’re going cheeky on me, I see…”, Gerry chuckled, taking another peach from the tree before walking on. Michael followed, already finishing his own.

*

**Nazaré**

Michael was standing dangerously close to the edge. Gerry got it, it was quite the view. The beach looked emptier now than it had in the morning, only a couple people left. They looked like ants. The sun was reflecting on the water, waves leaving glimmering foam on the sand. It was all very beautiful to look at, but Michael was standing unnecessarily close. He looked enraptured, eyes big, staring at the waves crashing against the rocks right beneath them. Well, many meters beneath them.

It was starting to unnerve Gerry, so he took Michael’s hand. Michael snapped out of it and took a step back. Gerry couldn’t keep in the sigh of relief. Michael looked at him, confused.

“You looked like you might jump.”, Gerry tried to say it in a teasing voice, but didn’t quite manage.

Michael looked surprised, “Oh...sorry, I think...I think I had some intense call of the void experience.”

Gerry sighed, “It’s fine.”, he squeezed Michael’s hand, “How about we sit down on those steps and eat those...cakes or whatever we bought from that old lady earlier?”, he pointed at the steps in front of the church, where another couple was currently basking in the sun.

Michael nodded and started walking towards the steps, “Oh right, we didn’t try them yet…”

“I mean, kind of got distracted with the view, really.”, Gerry said, sitting down with Michael and getting the plastic bag he’d purchased earlier out. He broke off a bit of the cake - maybe more like a thick bisquit? - off and gave it to Michael, taking some for himself.

“That was quite the crack. Is it that hard?”, Michael asked, looking at the piece in his hand, as he always did with unknown food before eating it.

Gerry bit into his own. “A bit, but it’s not too bad. Tastes good.”

“Is it sweet?”, Michael asked, looking at him curiously.

Gerry nodded, “Not too much, though.”, he broke off another piece and popped it into his mouth.

Michael tentatively bit into the piece in his hands. He smiled, “It _is_ good. Can’t go too wrong with peanuts, I guess.”

Gerry raised an eyebrow, as Michael ate the rest of his cake in one bite, “Didn’t know you like peanuts.”

Michael looked at him and smiled, “Now you do. Can I have more?”

“Sure.”, Gerry smiled back and gave him the bag. 

*

**Almada**

Gerry was trying to see the screen of the phone, but his vision was completely obscured by hair. They had spent the whole day exploring the city on the other side of the river - apparently no longer Lisbon, but still part of Lisbon, somehow - and had found a bar with a very nice view over the river and Lisbon. 

It was absolutely impossible to take a good picture of it. Well, of _it_ they had managed okay, but not _with_ it. The bar was called something along the line of ‘the wind’s mouth’, if Michael had translated correctly - which he had, Gerry was sure, because the name was more than fitting.

Michael chuckled as Gerry let out another frustrated sigh, putting his phone on the table to tie his hair back again.

“It’s pointless, Gerry.”, Michael had to speak a bit louder to be heard over the wind, despite standing right next to Gerry.

“Yeah, I think they really named this place perfectly.”, he sighed as the wind loosened the strands he had just tucked into his hairtie.

Michael had given up a while ago, holding his hair out of his face with his hands with mild success. He was smiling, face angled towards the low sun, that had seemed so very hot during the day. Its warmth was quite appreciated now; it would probably be rather chilly without it in this wind.

"Indeed.”, Michael mumbled, looking back at Gerry, who was trying to get his hair out of his mouth where it had gotten stuck the moment he had dared to open it. Michael chuckled, reaching out to help him, which only made his own hair get caught by the wind again. They laughed.

“Let’s try again?”, Gerry asked, tucking a blond curl behind Michael’s ear, which, for a second, actually stayed put before defying gravity again as the wind picked up again.

Michael chuckled, “Sure, but I think we need to give up on the possibility of our faces being on there.”

“Never.”, Gerry said, determined, as he picked up the phone again after his hair had finally stayed put. 

When he swiped to open the camera, another gust of wind came from behind them, blowing black strands of hair and blond curls all over the place again. Michael laughed as Gerry let out another frustrated sigh, putting his phone back once more. A grin was pulling at his lips, though.


End file.
